The Best Dark Chocolate Tahini Cookies (GF, Vegan, Nut-Free)
PERFECTION. That’s what these dark chocolate tahini cookies are…delicate, rich, bittersweet, slightly crumbly perfection. An ideal cookie for basically any occasion.
Not feeling chocolate? Try these chai spiced tahini cookies (which are GF, vegan, & nut-free)!
And what’s even better is that they’re awesome for those with dietary restrictions, as they’re gluten-free, vegan (dairy- & egg-free), and nut-free.
It’s tempting to then assume that they’re amazing only when graded on a dietary restriction curve, but that coudn’t be further from the truth—I’d never guess they’re gluten-free etc unless you told me. They can hold their own against any regular cookie recipe.
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I do appreciate that they’re healthier than the average cookie by quite a bit as well. I use maple syrup and some date sugar (though the recipe is flexible on sweeteners).
I’ve used oat flour here and love the texture it brings (almond or a 1:1 GF mix are also good options). And of course tahini is bringing healthy fat. I strongly recommend a high-quality dark cocoa powder (this dutch-process and Hershey’s Special Dark are my faves).
In what is probably a dangerous habit, I’ve taken to putting a bowl of this dough in the fridge and baking up (or using my air fryer to bake) a few at a time throughout the week!
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In a large bowl or your stand mixer (which is what I use), mix the water and flax seed together to prepare the flax egg and set aside for five minutes.
Add in the tahini, maple syrup, and vanilla and whisk together. Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Stir until fully combined. Fold in chocolate chips. The dough will likely be fairly wet and very sticky at this stage.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the sesame seeds and sea salt in a small bowl and sir to combine. Fill another small bowl with water.
The cookie dough will still be sticky, so wetting your hands periodically will help. Using a small spoon (like the regular one you eat with), scoop cookie dough and gently roll into a loose ball with your hands. Dip the tops (half of the ball) into the sesame mixture and place on cookie sheet.
Dip a fork into the water and press down gently in a criss-cross pattern. Rewet your fork each time. This will help the cookies spread more evenly as they bake (not to get a special pattern).
Bake for 8 to 11 minutes (9 is usually about perfect for me).
Remove from oven and bang gently on the counter, then let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
These will keep well for a few days…I’ve found that they actually do fairly well when exposed to a bit of air and actually get stale in an airtight container. I’ve left them out on the counter overnight. So I’d keep them in a container but with the lid ajar, and consider layers of parchment between the cookies.
As with many gluten-free bakes, I’ve found that I love them same-day but not as much fresh out of the oven. They benefit from setting up completely and cooling down, the texture is better and I feel like I can really get the subtle flavors better as well.
I’m more than a little obsessed with these dark chocolate sesame seed cookies, and they’ve popped to the top of my “make constantly” list!
Other desserts that are great for dietary restrictions:
- Easy No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote (GF, vegan, almond-free)
- Creamy 5-Minute Peanut Butter Pudding (dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan)
- Super Healthy Fudgy Date Brownies (GF, vegan, nut-free, no refined sugar)
- The Most Epic Single-Serving Molten Chocolate Lava Cake (gluten-free)
- Chocolate-Almond Tartine with Jam Swirls (gluten-free)
- Indulgent-Yet-Healthy Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies (GF, vegan, nut-free)
- Easy & Awesome Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies (also vegan & nut-free)
- Also with tahini (though not GF): Tahini & Caramelized White Chocolate Cookies
Adapted slightly from Salted Plains
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Dark Chocolate Tahini Cookies (GF, Vegan, Almond-Free)
These amazing dark chocolate tahini cookies are super easy and gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free. A delicate and rich (but not too sweet!) chocolate sesame cookie that everyone will love, great for dietary restrictions!
Ingredients
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons of water)
- 1/2 cup of runny tahini
- 1/2 cup of maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (100g) of gluten-free oat flour (see notes)
- 1/2 cup of GOOD unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup of date or coconut sugar (see notes on substitutions)
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 cup (95g) of dark chocolate chips (I use ~72% dark)
- Coating: (1/4 cup of sesame seeds & 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt)
Instructions
- In a large bowl or your stand mixer (which is what I use), mix the water and flax seed together to prepare the flax egg and set aside for five minutes.
- Add in the tahini, maple syrup, and vanilla and whisk together. Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Stir until fully combined. Fold in chocolate chips. The dough will likely be fairly wet and very sticky at this stage.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the sesame seeds and sea salt in a small bowl and sir to combine. Fill another small bowl with water.
- The cookie dough will still be sticky, so wetting your hands periodically will help. Using a small spoon (like the regular one you eat with), scoop cookie dough and gently roll into a loose ball with your hands. Dip the tops (half of the ball) into the sesame mixture and place on cookie sheet.
- Dip a fork into the water and press down gently in a criss-cross pattern. Rewet your fork each time. This will help the cookies spread more evenly as they bake (not to get a special pattern).
- Bake for 8 to 11 minutes (9 is usually about perfect for me). Remove from oven and bang gently on the counter, then let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- These will keep well for a few days...I've found that they actually do fairly well when exposed to a bit of air and actually get stale in an airtight container. I've left them out on the counter overnight. So I'd keep them in a container but with the lid ajar, and consider layers of parchment between the cookies.
- As with many gluten-free bakes, I've found that I love them same-day but not as much fresh out of the oven. They benefit from setting up completely and cooling down, the texture is better and I feel like I can really get the subtle flavors better as well.
Notes
- The quality and flavor of your cooca powder plays a huge role in this recipe. I like something a little dark and rich, like a good dutch-process or Hershey's Special Dark.
- To make this truly vegan (if you care), make sure to use dairy-free dark chocolate chips.
- I use date sugar because it's what I have on-hand, you can also sub coconut sugar or brown sugar (brown sugar may change the texture slightly).
- I've made this using 100% oat flour, and also with a two-thirds/one-third mix of oat flour and 1:1 gluten-free blend (like Bob's Red Mill). Both are awesome. If you go for the latter, make the total amount 3/4 cup rather than doing it by weight.
- Life hack: I keep a bowl of this cookie dough in my fridge and just bake up 2-4 cookies fresh throughout the week whenever a craving strikes!
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These dark chocolate tahini cookies look incredible, I’m thrilled to see a recipe that’s not only gluten-free and vegan but also nut-free. The combination of dark chocolate and tahini sounds so unique and indulgent. Can’t wait to bake these and enjoy a delicious, allergy-friendly treat. Thanks for sharing such a creative and thoughtful recipe.